Center needs more money, not less

Published: Tuesday, January 8, 2013 at 2:15 p.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, January 8, 2013 at 2:15 p.m.

I have personally never used L.J. Chabert Medical Center, but I have friends and relatives who are patients. I have been visiting them and providing transportation for some of them for many years.

When people are sick or in pain or they have a sick child, many of them can become less than polite. When they have long waits in the E.R. or for appointments, it can be even worse. This can make it difficult for the patients and the staff too.

The entire staff is working under hectic and stressful conditions, as well as being understaffed and underfunded. Despite all of this, these are good people, and they do all they can do to help others. The solution to these problems is not more budget cuts. LJCMC needs increased funding, not cuts.

With increased cuts, waiting time for appointments and in the E.R. will increase. With fewer beds, people will be treated and sent home who should have been admitted because no beds will be available. The staff will be even more overworked. The patients will be even more impatient and impolite. Everybody will be more stressed out. As a result, there will be more suffering, and the quality of health care that the patients receive will deteriorate.

I have been a smoker for over 50 years, and like all smokers, every time the Feds increased the tobacco tax I griped and yelled that Washington will just waste the money anyway.

This is different though. This is about saving lives and easing suffering. A tax of 20 cents per pack or $2 a carton can raise a lot of money. I would happily pay that tax if every cent of the tax went to LJCMC.

I’ve discussed this with about 50 or more other people, both smokers and non-smokers, and every single one of them said they would vote for the tax, but only if there was a law that made sure Chabert Medical Center received all the money from the cigarette tax. If this were a state tax, the money would stay in Baton Rouge. However, if this were a Terrebonne and Lafourche Parish tax, the money could then be allocated to Chabert without everybody taking a little off the top before it gets there.

Over the years, I have sat at the hospital and talked with many different people, both patients and their families and friends. As a result, I have come to the conclusion that the majority of patients being treated at Chabert have smoking-related illnesses.

<p>I have personally never used L.J. Chabert Medical Center, but I have friends and relatives who are patients. I have been visiting them and providing transportation for some of them for many years.</p><p>When people are sick or in pain or they have a sick child, many of them can become less than polite. When they have long waits in the E.R. or for appointments, it can be even worse. This can make it difficult for the patients and the staff too.</p><p>The entire staff is working under hectic and stressful conditions, as well as being understaffed and underfunded. Despite all of this, these are good people, and they do all they can do to help others. The solution to these problems is not more budget cuts. LJCMC needs increased funding, not cuts.</p><p>With increased cuts, waiting time for appointments and in the E.R. will increase. With fewer beds, people will be treated and sent home who should have been admitted because no beds will be available. The staff will be even more overworked. The patients will be even more impatient and impolite. Everybody will be more stressed out. As a result, there will be more suffering, and the quality of health care that the patients receive will deteriorate.</p><p>I have been a smoker for over 50 years, and like all smokers, every time the Feds increased the tobacco tax I griped and yelled that Washington will just waste the money anyway.</p><p>This is different though. This is about saving lives and easing suffering. A tax of 20 cents per pack or $2 a carton can raise a lot of money. I would happily pay that tax if every cent of the tax went to LJCMC.</p><p>I've discussed this with about 50 or more other people, both smokers and non-smokers, and every single one of them said they would vote for the tax, but only if there was a law that made sure Chabert Medical Center received all the money from the cigarette tax. If this were a state tax, the money would stay in Baton Rouge. However, if this were a Terrebonne and Lafourche Parish tax, the money could then be allocated to Chabert without everybody taking a little off the top before it gets there.</p><p>Over the years, I have sat at the hospital and talked with many different people, both patients and their families and friends. As a result, I have come to the conclusion that the majority of patients being treated at Chabert have smoking-related illnesses.</p>